Intraperitoneal high dose chemotherapy as consolidation treatment for advanced ovarian carcinoma: a pilot study

Consolidation treatment of advanced ovarian carcinoma, especially the place of intraperitoneal chemotherapy, remains a controversial subject. From Jan uary 1998 to July 1995, 39 patients, median age 54 years, received intraper itoneal chemotherapy as consolidation treatment after second-look surgery. At the time of intraperitoneal chemotherapy 30 patients had Mo residual dis ease. Intraperitoneal drug administration used a Tenckoff catheter or a lum bar needle. Treatment combined 5 fluorouracil 1 g/m(2) and cisplatin 200 mg /m(2), associated with a systemic sodium thiosulfate rescue as nephroprotec tor. A pharmacological analysis was done for 9 patients: the exposure of pe ritoneal cavity to cisplatin exceeded that of the plasma by 11 fold. Hemato logic and nephrologic toxicity were acceptable. The median follow-up is 43 months. The disease free survival is 36,6 months, but 48,5 months if no res idual disease at the time of intraperitoneal chemotherapy. Consolidation tr eatment by intense intraperitoneal chemotherapy is a feasible approach and might be beneficial in chemosensitive patients devoided of macroscopic remn ants, but must be compared with others approaches.